Keaton Peters and Mason Marcellus both scored and recorded an assist as the Lincoln Stars defeated the Tri-City Storm, 5-3, on Friday night at the Ice Box.

The Stars trailed 1-0 entering the second period but scored three times to take a 3-2 lead into the third period. Lincoln (15-7-1) wrapped up the 2022 calendar year by picking up their 22nd win in 32 games at the Ice Box, regular season and postseason included to put an end to Tri-City's (10-11-0-2) three-game point streak.

Peters gave the Stars the lead for good with a power-play goal at the 12:06 mark of the second period. He snapped a six-game goalless streak, his longest of the season, and tied for the team lead with his 11th goal.

"It was definitely a monkey off the back moment for me," Peters said. "It was a long stretch but I stayed focused, I stuck with it and sometimes when you worry about it too much, they won't come. When you play the game the right way you'll get rewarded."

That tally came on Lincoln's second power play of the night and capped a hectic second period. Henry Nelson tossed the puck to the net from just inside the blue line along the boards near side at the 4:02 mark of the first. That goal tied the game and got the fun started on Teddy Bear Toss Night at the Ice Box as fans tossed the teddy bears onto the ice and the game was tied.

Despite the excitement from the game-tying and teddy bear-launching goal Tri-City scored 26 seconds later to retake the lead. It would be their final lead of the game. Boston Buckberger one-timed a pass from Peters top shelf from the blue line for his fourth goal of the season at the 7:36 mark of the second to tie the game up again. Peters gave the Stars the lead on a one-timer from the right circle off a feed from Michael Mesic to score his eighth goal on home ice. That goal concluded the Stars' most productive second period of the season against the Storm.

"I think it was perseverance," head coach Rocky Russo said. "We talked to the guys in the first period (about how) we were playing pretty well. We aren't playing great but we're playing pretty well. We're doing the things that we need to do. We're defending pretty well, we need to generate a little more offense. I thought our intensity really picked up in the second period."

Marcellus added to the Stars lead by forcing a turnover at the Tri-City blue line and scoring on a breakaway at the 10:31 mark of the third. At the time it gave the Stars a 4-2 lead but it ended up being his third game-winning goal of the season and second in as many Fridays. The Storm cut the deficit to one with just under a minute-and-a-half remaining in regulation when they scored a six-on-four power play goal with the net empty. Marcellus picked up the only assist on Dashel Oliver's empty netter at the 19:33 mark to end the game.

Lincoln improves to 4-1-1 against Tri-City and faces them for a third consecutive game on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at the Viaero Center. It is the Stars' final game before the holiday break and they won't be back in action again until Dec. 30-31 with games at Omaha and Tri-City, respectively. The Stars' next home games are Jan. 6-7 against Fargo and tickets can be purchased at lincolnstars.com.
 
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